Sidharth, an Indian American boy, and his traditional parents are forced to reckon with their conflicting values when he brings home a girlfriend who doesn’t fit their expectations.

Director’s Vision for ‘Payasam and Other Careful Processes’

I spent most of my life lying to my parents about a lot of things. Growing, I had such a pretext that they would disapprove of anything I did that I usually preferred to keep quiet over sharing even the simplest of vulnerabilities I had – whether it was a B on a test, or that I auditioned for a choir solo and didn’t get it, or that I had a crush (yuck!).

Whether or not it was the right or wrong decision to lie (it was wrong), over time, I’ve realized a couple of important underlying truths about being from an immigrant family, especially as I’ve come to see my own parents as more three-dimensional than I ever used to:

1. No matter our differences in opinion or beliefs, everything my immigrant parents wanted for me comes from a place of the utmost love. My brother and I are their entire world.

2. Whether we realized it or not, every time my brother and I challenged their viewpoints, or asked them for anything, they would consistently challenge their own deeply-held values and beliefs for our sake.